1. Field
The following description relates to an apparatus and method for estimating a life of a battery.
2. Description of Related Art
In electric vehicles, electricity is used as an energy source. Electric vehicles are classified based on their structure into hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles, battery electric vehicles, and other classifications known to one of ordinary skill in the art.
In a current car market, eco-friendly cars, for example, hybrid electric vehicles, are being sold. In a hybrid electric vehicle, a battery and an internal combustion engine are combined. For example, a hybrid electric vehicle may have a very high fuel efficiency compared to an existing internal combustion engine. Additionally, an electric vehicle using only a battery as an energy source instead of including an internal combustion engine is also being sold.
Vehicles using electricity as an energy source may include secondary batteries capable of being charged and discharged. For example, in various types of secondary batteries, a secondary battery using lithium (Li) ion technology has a high capacity for its weight, and provides a high energy output. Accordingly, the secondary battery may be suitable for use as an energy source of an electric vehicle.
A time to replace a battery in an electric vehicle may be estimated by a state of health (SOH). Typically, an SOH may be estimated based on a capacity of a battery.